The Depths of Man and Beast
by Judge of the Winds
Summary: T for safety. A self-insert. This is what happens when a mysterious chain of events beyond your control, made of an unknown source, has chosen you to be the catalyst of legendary proportions. "Oh, boy..."
1. Kidnapping

**The Depths of Man and Beast**

I decided that I write a REAL self-insert. Sorry Aqua; Shijin is now officially not a self-insert.

=D Arbella, I hope you like this. Though this is just a prologue…

Oh, and set one year ahead in case I get bored. XD

On with the show, everyone.

* * *

"I'm _telling_ you, the answer is C, since 3x+7 is the numerator of the function!" I said to my friend, Katei, in my AP Statistics class.

"But you see there's another (x - y) in the equation on the top so it'd have to be B." She replied to me.

"No, the bottom has x^2-y^2, which factors into (x + y) (x - y), so the (x – y) gets cancelled out." I replied again.

"Ok. Thanks." She replied.

This was how most of my conversations went. They asked a question, I responded, they found something they didn't understand, I correct, they try to counter-correct, and so on and so on. My life seemed to be an endless cycle of faces and questions. I had been growing tired of it, and the people at school weren't helping much.

Before I continue, my name is Jeremy, the same name of my main character in my fan fiction. I'd originally thought that I could do one, but I'm not so sure anymore. I'm a tenth grade saxophone player, and already I'm ahead of most of my peers save about fifteen, who were with me on difficulty level.

School life had taken over at least 30% of my life, and with my sleep keeping a good 20-40%, my homework a good 5, and my family taking up at least 20, my life has barely enough time for slowing down. This just so happened to be the one thing that I wanted most, possibly for a long time now. If only I could find a chance to escape my average life…

*RING!!!*

There went the break bell. We had a good 15 minutes to talk among ourselves in the hallway while getting to fourth period class. I had gone up the four steps from the lobby and into the edge of the English Hall, where my friends Olivia, Casey, Kayla, Cody, Zack, Meredith, Josh, and Victoria, among others, were talking. Casey and Olivia were already doing stuff so I went over and talked to the others a bit. I'd always brought some kind of food to take with me at school, today being no different, as I had a blueberry muffin, which had pieces off of it, courtesy of the latter two I just mentioned in the names.

The warning bell rang, with me scurrying into my English II Honors room, not five steps away from where I was standing. I worked through our daily routine, but a weird thing caught my eye.

I had seen what appeared to be a twenty-looking black-haired man, but something was off. He didn't have modern attire, more similar to that of plain shirts and apparently a vest. He disappeared as soon as I saw him, walking through the other side of the window. I made a mental note to make sure I was inside for most of the time I was here after school. I asked my friend Spencer if he saw it, but he said he didn't.

Maybe I was finally going crazy? I must be seeing things.

**Later**

English class was over. I laser-beamed past the other students, marching-band style, fast-paced and in step with Spencer. We charged down the steps and rounded the corner to the band room. There I slowed down, my almost-thirty-pound book-bag slowing me down. I took it off, proceeding to go through the large new door. Some of the seniors were already in there, to which I talked to them a bit. As my custom, I said bye to Maya, my section leader, and the crew.

I had arrived at the buses, thankfully crowded by a large number of people. I talked to my friends there, then going through the school to the car pick-up zone. Little did I know that the black-haired man was still watching me from the shadows; I did not find out till later in time.

My car drove up to the area, and I got in. Usually I was picked up by my grandma, but I was really looking forward to driving my own car, which I would be able to in about six months. We rode up to the local store about a two minute walk from the school grounds. I went in and got yet another muffin and a Pepsi. Unfortunately, I had to see my… "Annoyances." These guys were the muscular football-type people who didn't really do much in their classes but horse around, usually to smarter peoples' chagrin. I quickly passed through what seemed like their barricade with a solid "MOVE!" and made for the door. I could still hear laughing from them as the door swung closed.

The rest of the car ride was uneventful, and neither was my time at my grandma's house. I played a bit more of my Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon game, but that was it. My mom came and picked me up again. We drove a good fifteen or twenty minute ride before reaching my house, a little 2K apartment-size home.

My dad was in there, watching TV as usual. Usually he had it either on the news, movies, or Sci-fi if it was Wednesday, since my mom loved to watch TACS with another "haunted" house episode. Around 9:00 PM my dad went to his bed, mom following suit around 11:00 PM.

Getting into my PJs with little work, I went into my room around Midnight and stared out the window. Yet again, that creepy guy from earlier was staring outside the window into my room. Suffice to say, I was getting freaked out. I turned the light back on, but found no one outside. I went back to bed, only to hear a knock at the door. I put my regular clothes back on and looked through the glass on the door scope. The man was at the door again, this time allowing me to see more of his face. He had about shoulder-length dark-hair, a burly physique, and cat-pupil hazel eyes.

Wait… cat's eyes!?

The man then single-handedly opened the door, with little effort and no pity for the poor lock to the house, and proceeded to come closer to me.

I rushed inside my room, getting my tennis-racket-that-seemed-new-but-was-really-over-seven-years-old from its case, and waited for the man to come in. The knob slowly turned, the door slowly opening. I readied my racket into a swinging position, ready to bring down the would-be-kidnapper. The figure swung the door open, and I whacked the racket against his chest. There was only one tiny problem.

He didn't budge an inch. He looked oddly familiar, the way his posture was aligned, and his body being about the size of the door-frame, but broader.

"Come with me." He said in a dark, monotone voice.

"No! HAAA!" I tried to whack him again, but to no avail. I had to yell softly so my parents wouldn't wake up.

"Hmph. Then you leave me no choice." He punched me hard in the stomach. I passed out into sleep.

"B…Burglar…"

Review if you like please!


	2. Voices

**Chapter 2**

Hey. So, 5-digit and Arbella Scott got it right.

Look for the reviews.

Otherwise, you'll find out… in Chapter 2.

I fell unconscious after that hard punch. I could just barely feel my surroundings, even though I couldn't touch them.

I had studied how to feel "currents", which are basically waves. Air currents are able to control how fast something is going, and can also tell the position of objects, temperature, and most importantly, physical traits of people without touching them. The only real use I had for it until then was being able to go through a dark room looking for my personal effects, so in some cases it _did_ come in handy, but usually only for finding my way though rooms.

Electric waves were a bit easier to spot, these telling when something like a stove or TV was on in case the TV screen was black. No real use for that 'til now either. Electric currents can also pinpoint sources of light, like switches or appliances, so I guess it had its uses.

The next type is heat waves, basically telling how hot or cold something is, from water to even people. I admittedly only used this to cool myself down. Not much other use for it either. Well, there is _another_ thing a person can tell from this kind, but I'd rather not go into detail.

Life waves, or nowadays called "Carbon Waves", allow someone to tell how a person is feeling, and how much energy they have in them. I know I used this one a lot, because I'm usually able to sense who or what is behind me, or in almost any other direction. It's also referred to as Aura. Me being able to sense life waves were probably why when I was near a muscular guy I felt stressed, being that Auras can also make someone who's sensitive to them have a lot of pain when near a big one. If I recall, Mist can also sense life waves.

Lastly, the most dangerous kind is Thought or Mind Waves. This I'm not entirely used to, as I'm not sure if I can get the signal right on most people. Basically it's like telepathy, but only one-way. You can tell what other people are thinking, sometimes even their next move. Use of this kind is rare and somewhat misunderstood, as you can "jam" a person's thoughts if you place pressure onto the waves. Some people prohibit themselves from it because of this, since most people can't tell apart good and bad Thought waves. I hadn't had enough experience with this yet. Micaiah was able to use this kind of wave.

I used a combination of these five waves to sense who was in the room. From what I could tell…

There was one REALLY big guy, probably my assailant, a smaller figure that was probably female, and a larger man with a lighter vibe than the other one.

I couldn't tell anything else than that.

But then, I heard their voices.

"Is he ok?"

"He's sleeping right now. The doctors have found no problems other than a bad back. He should be waking up any time now."

"I hope they're okay."

'_Okay… I have no idea where the crack I am now… now what?' _I thought to myself. _'I can't tell any specifics so… guess I'll have to wait and see. Hmm… best wait.'_

My train of thought was interrupted by someone pushing my shoulder. "Hmph. Puny _human._" The woman said.

'_!!! Where have I heard that before!? Don't tell me…' _ I thought again.

"Lethe. Don't say such things. She could hear you." The light man said.

…Let's just say I almost exploded.

'_WHAAAAAAAAT!?!?!?!?' _I thought yet again. _'I'M NOT A GIRL!!!! I'M A __**GUY**__ FOR PETE'S SAKE!!!'_

…Yeah. Like that.

"We must wait for the beorc to wake up. Until then, don't try to bother him… Mordecai?" The dark man said.

"Yes, Sir?" Mordecai said.

… Wait for it… patiently… _silently…_

"The beorc is male."

BINGO!!! 10 points to the dark haired man!!! And Mordecai; don't call me a girl.

I felt the lighter man blush. I barely suppressed a snort from his comment.

"Y-yes Sir." I heard Mordecai say, stuttering a bit.

A door opening was heard, and I felt a massive headache coming on. He sensed to be strong, headstrong, and now, _rowdy._

"Hey Giffca? Is the young one up yet?" The big man asked. Needless to say, if this is who I think it is, somebody let me get some cake. That _isn't_ a lie. Because my sensors indicate it's a Large Ham. And I now realize I made a quadruple combo on the tropes.

"No, Skrimir, I can't say he is. He's been out for about two days."

'_Two DAYS!? I've never been out that long!!!'_ I thought to myself. I haven't been out save when I was young, so… yeah.

"So, is it safe to assume he's out cold?" Lethe asked.

"That would be logical." Giffca replied.

"His heart rate and bones are all fixed, but I'm not so sure on his lungs. They seem somewhat larger than a normal beorc. Also, he's quite fragile, so don't do anything harmful to him." The laguz doctor insisted. I didn't recall who it was; being that he probably wasn't in the game.

"So that's why he looks feminine? A larger…chest???" Skrimir asked. I sensed his heart rate go up by about 10 beats. Someone PLEASE get me something to whack him with. I don't want to deal with another Annoyance.

"That's what we think. We aren't quite sure though. Instinct says he's a pure-bred beorc, but he seems unnatural somehow." The laguz replied.

"Does he have some ancient power or something?" Lethe asked.

"The only other thing is that his head is larger than a normal beorc, so… I suppose that he's smarter than an average beorc as well. Let me know if he wakes up." The doc then proceeded to exit through the door.

I heard nothing for the next few hours. The door opened up again, about in the direction ahead of me and to the left. I felt two big presences, one the big one from earlier, and another one similar to that rowdy man they called Skrimir.

"Your Majesty, this was the one. According to the diagnostics, he matches perfectly with what the prophecy said." The large man (whom I presumed to be Giffca) said to the other one.

"Hmm… he definitely matches the descriptions of old. Has he awoken?" The man asked.

"No, Your Majesty, not for fifty marks now. He has no injuries left, but he doesn't seem to be in any condition to wake up anytime soon." 'Giffca' asked.

They murmured something I couldn't understand afterwards, but it didn't sense to be good.

I had felt someone poke my arm a few hours later.

"Hey. Wake up, beorc." No idea who it was.

"…I can see that you're moving. Open your eyes already." They poked my eye.

"Mmph…" I said. I finally was able to get out of this state?

"He's awake!" A deeper voice said. He was kind of big, but not like the other guys.

"So the guy FINALLY decides to get up. It's about time." This one was like that other girl. …Wasn't it Lethe? She had a sister, right?

"Yep, and he should be coming to any minute now." A tenor voice replied. Probably the last man in the ensemble, he was probably someone like Ranulf, because his voice was too high compared to the other guys… How did they get so big, anyway??? …Never mind.

"Stop pestering him. We don't exactly know what he's capable of, so don't do anything unnatural to him." I heard the doctor come in. I heard footsteps and running water. He came near me again. "I hope you don't mind what you will be feeling in a bit. This will help you open your eyes." He ran his finger across my eyelids. They were admittedly gentle. But then again, I remembered in a few pointers from my mom that when applying medication to be as gentle as possible.

"GET EVERYONE!!!" That larger man yelled. I heard lots of shuffling, and more than a few roars. Suffice to say I felt like I was in prison or something, the way a bunch of big guys get near you when you're in a corner? Yeah; think like that, but with A LOT more guys.

Everyone crowded around me like flies to a flame. Just _WHAT IS WITH THEM!?_

I tried turning over to get a good laugh. Unfortunately I now found out (a bit too late, I might add) that they had bound me in _**ROPE**__._ (Seriously, what is _up_ with these people!?)

I struggled to get out with my eyes closed, but that failed miserably. I mentally cried to myself and went back to sleep. Everyone saddened in disappointment that it was a false alarm. Personally, I prefer small groups; tons of people scare me. … What!? I have claustrophobia!

I heard people leaving the room one-by-one, each sullen and sad I didn't wake up. …I wonder why…

A few more moments passed. I heard the doctor get up; I guess this was as good a time as any to ask.

"Is the coast clear, doctor?"

FINALLY!!!!!! It's done. Now if only my helper could be here. T^T Where is he when you need him?

Oh, and I'm wondering how you people would respond to an intertwined fic. There's a certain piece of fiction I have that _might_ have similar to events in this one~… if you want it to happen, lemme know, ok? =D

Oh, and should you want to, I accept OCs. I hear mine become popular, too. 8D


	3. Enter

**The Depths of Man and Beast**

_Yo._

_Ch.3 is here, and I hope you people will read and review. I'll accept anon reviews and OCs if you have them._

… _*insert random comment* Oh and Shijin 14 will come soon, I promise._

* * *

"Ah, so you're finally awake. I suppose you heard some things while you were out cold? Or should I say lack thereof?" The doctor asked.

"Uh… I was out cold… for how long?" I asked, trying to play dumb.

"About two days, if you didn't already hear. I sensed your state of consciousness rise enough to be awake, so you can quit with the stupid act." The man said again.

"Oh… so um… who are you?" I asked again.

"The name's Doctor Lucas Wister. Although, people here just call me 'Doc.'" Fitting. "Though I haven't seen you around these parts, and I believe we need some info on who _**you**_ are as well. So, what's your name?" Lucas asked.

I decided to hit the pause button for a sec. If I_** do **_give away my name, and this isn't where I think it is, then I could end up in deep trouble. If I _**don't,**_ then they could end up torturing me for my name, nonetheless the other information they might want on me. Wait! If I say I have amnesia, they might believe it! …Well, that, or they'd end up torturing me. Getting hit in the stomach wouldn't give someone amnesia, would it? You'd have to be hit in the head, so there goes that option. Ah, such a dilemma…

Let's see…

"I'm waiting for a reply, you know." Dr. Wister said.

Agh… this is getting irritating. So… the "_I've Got Amnesia"_ trick won't work, and since he hit me square on my diaphragm, anything else with the head won't work either. Being Mute would just be plain idiotic, since I just spoke. Hmm… I can't sense the doctor's race… so if he's laguz, then he'd probably be able to tell if I'm lying about my name, even if I cover up the Guilty Lapse in my scent. And if I should make a decision, then I should make it soon. I'm in a state where any mistake could be disastrous, even not speaking before time is up.

"…Well?" the Dr. said again. "If you don't reply, then you'll end up worse than you are now."

Ok, that was unnerving. NOT. Anyway… saying 'It's Classified Information' wouldn't work either; if I did then he'll suspect I'm a spy. And since I need a good first impression, this is out of the question.

Calling me by another name would eventually make guilt appear, and if I'm right on laguz senses, then they'll pick it up due to my change in pheromones; their animal side can tell different things by the change of a person's scent.

So, supposing there's no way out of this, I could just tell them my name. But I remember that older man (which by the "Your Majesty" evidence, I believe him as the ruler of the nation) saying something about me looking like some guy in a… ah great. I'm a catalyst for some weird mystery/adventure FANFICTION. I guess I could just dump the remains over a cliff. UMM…

If I tell them my first name, and not my last, then I could be considered just another random person traveling. Simple enough… though there could be a sense of rebellion for royalty's actions; though by my own senses that King or whoever seemed to be huge in terms of strength and size, so that's doubtful. If I say my full name, then I'd be considered a noble, again due to the "Your Majesty" thing. Decisions, decisions... ok, let's go with the red pill. Wait... I already took my meds, so that was a useless pun.

"Time's a-tick-in', young man." Dr. Wister said again. "Don't make me call _**them**_. And I believe you know who _**they**_ are."

"Fine, fine! The name's Jeremy. Sheesh." I finally answered. "No need to get the information police."

"Good. I'll go get some things to get you ready." Dr. Wister said. He left with a close of the door.

I slowly opened my eyes to an awkward sight. The room was made of a tan-yellow brick, decorated with… lion emblems and blue backgrounds… umm… I suppose I'm in Gallia… CRAP.

They're gonna kill me. I fretted until the door opened again. Unfortunately, the worst thing happened: it was that annoying man, (according to my knowledge) Prince Skrimir, in the flesh. I could tell because that exhausteous wave permeated around him. Accompanied with him were two big men, one blue-haired man and one lavender-haired (he was a bit smaller and probably younger), a smaller, lighter blue-haired male, two ginger-haired female twins, a large red-haired man around his 30's or 40's, and a dark-haired man… HEY! THAT'S MY KIDNAPPER!!!!! …Oh, and there was a violet-haired man who wore glasses and had a few belongings. I suppose he was Dr. Lucas Wister. His hair was about as long as mine.

"Hmph… glad to see you're awake, little one." I heard one of them say as they entered. I couldn't tell who it was but I _think_ it was either one of those two really burly guys. (I'm SORRY but they're THAT muscular, SHEESH! O_o) Wait… little one??? OH NO, IS HE…

Pat. Pat pat. Ruffle. NANDA-(sorry I speak a bit of Japanese; pardon my French. "Nanda" basically means "What..?" and you pronounce it Nah-n-dah.)

"Haha. He's kinda cute, if you look at him right." _Umm_… I'm guessing that was the same guy who was patting my head. I looked up and saw the lavender-haired man right above me. I shook a little bit, and I suppose he noticed me, and took his hand off my head. I tried to get my hair back in the right spots (he ruffled it to the point of me with a bed head) and get the cotton from his gloves out as well.

"So, did he talk yet?" the red-garbed girl said. If I remember the game correctly, then this would be… Lyre???

"Well, the only thing he said was that his name was Jeremy. Otherwise, he's stayed quiet throughout his whole time here." Dr. LW said. For those of you who have played Fire Emblem 7 (just 'Fire Emblem' in America), upon further inspection, I find he looks a little bit like Erk, save having thin-rimmed glasses. I hope there isn't someone like…

CRASH. "LUCAAAAAAAAAAAAAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!' A high pitched scream careened throughout the halls. I suppose this is his *ahem* _girlfriend._

"T-Tivona-!" Lucas said.

"You big jerk! You…Y-You said you'd go out with me today~!!!!" Tivona whined.

As for Tivona's looks, she looked a bit like Erk's escort as well, save a color palette change. For those of you who do not know who I am talking about, Erk's escort was Serra. She even had something to whack Lucas with, a humongous tangerine-colored fan (to which I barely suppressed a laugh when she hit him on the head with it). She wore a tangerine-colored dress, bright orange shoes and had at least three different rings with amber as the jewel top. Her hair of course, was in two distinct ponytails, held by (yet again) tangerine bands. The similarity was quite astounding, if I do say so myself. After seeing how Lucas was squirming to get air, I suppose I should be glad that she wasn't _my_ girlfriend.

"Fine, fine. I'll _go with you. Sheesh." _Dr. Wister said.

"Well, if you need anything, just ring the bell next to your bed. One of us will come to your aid." The black-garbed man said.

"See you later, alright?" "Bye!" "Get better soon, okay?" Comments like that were given to me, as I slumped back into my bed. What the crap of a situation am I in _now!?_

* * *

_Yay Ch. 3 is finished. 10:20 PM June 19, Friday 2009._

Hope you guys enjoy the next chapters and cheer for me please. Don't be afraid to leave comments as I will greatly appreciate them.

Any recommendations on the writing or if you want to put your character into the story, then I will think on it and hope you will be impressed. AND JUST DON'T READ THIS PLEASE.

;) I would like to know what you guys out there think of this story, and any improvements or plot twists I could make. Bye~


	4. The Large Hams

**The Depths of Man and Beast**

_Ok, Ch. 4 is underway._

_Sam is on hold so…yeah. D: And she only got one look-at in May. AAGH. I'll write Ch. 3 of hers soon._

* * *

I stayed in the bed for a few hours, not knowing what was going on. What just happened? Why am I here? What's with this prophecy thing? _Why did he think I'm a girl???_

Wait… I look enough like a girl to be considered one… never mind. Though I thought that he would've seen my sideburns…and my stubble…

Hmm…out of that group that came… Lucas seems to be the kind of guy that Erk is, and Tivona's practically another Serra… I should probably avoid that big red-haired guy that kept giving me weird looks umm… Skrimir's his name, right? Note to self: if he gets any closer, I will get a restraining order. ANYWAY…

The big blue-haired guy seems nice but he called me a girl. OUCH Mordecai! But he's still pretty cool so meh. Lethe still looks type A tsundere material. To those of you out there who don't know about tsundere and all that, it means she has a 'cranky' or 'rough' exterior and a 'sweet' or 'nice' interior. That red twin of hers… Lyre I think… she looks nice… though I think she's friends with Tivona… two hyper girls… if they get mad at me, I might as well kill myself and throw myself off a cliff, preferably former before the latter. Or simultaneously… either way works.

And what was with that pale-haired guy's thing with ruffling my hair? It takes me a bit to get it right, y'know. I just hope he isn't like my brother; larger than me, _slightly_ smarter, and VERY VERY ANNOYING. Though the fact I've played through Radiant Dawn probably solved #2. Hahaha-he-haha. I's gotz teh timeline LULZ. I immediately whacked that thought with my mental paper fan.

_And_ the other blue-haired guy I'm not sure about. I suppose his name was Ranulf. Looked enough… ok, that orange bandana (looks enough like one) would probably be worn only by him. Stands out like a neon sign...

According to my knowledge the one they call "Giffca" is the one who kidnapped me. Tall, Strong and Dark…Ok, no more So*** P**k referencing. Apparently the right hand man of the royalty, and judging by his stature, probably considered that since (if I recall) he's been with the king of wherever-I-am since birth onwards. He seems to be staring at me for some reason. Why??? *sigh*…

Finally I guess that other red-haired guy is the king of the nation, as I suspected. Like his robe didn't give it away; clothes didn't help hide it either… wait. WAS THAT A WHOLE FLAG ON HIS BACK!?!? … Oh, and that fluffy white thing too. If the apple doesn't fall far from the tree then he could be a watered-down persona of that Skrimir guy. Waves gave that signal, and hopefully he won't be as bad as Skrimir seems to be.

So, with nothing to do, I decided to make sure that I had everything that I had on before; check. Hmm~ they left my shoes at the door. The counter was full of suitcases... that looked like my family's… wonder why. Suddenly I felt some restraint. It was… my stomach??? Looks like Giffca hits harder than what I had hoped. At least it would heal nicely with all those bandages… that look like freaking CHAINS.

I looked and found the bell they had provided… and they put a CAT BELL. NANDA!? Oh, and I see that they had also put my Alto Sax, computer case, and the suitcases at my house there too, now that I look at them more... …WHY OH WHY do I get this feeling something really freaky is going on???

"Awake again huh?" I heard Erk-I mean, Lucas say from the door. He walked in carrying a few books of various literatures supposedly from the local or royal library. Due to the Spartan-like culture of Gallia, I'm guessing the latter. Since they don't have any manufacturing processes that I know of, it'd be hard to get good books if they're not local.

"Here are some things you can brush up on to get the hang of living in Gallia. Being that you'll be here for a while, these will be essential…" he said. Could things get worse? YES. "Oh, and Skrimir wants to meet you when you decide to come out of the room."

Aw, Crackers. And I'm not even a Peg Knight. If "the Prince" wants to see me, then it can only mean one thing. Agh… might as well see what kind of books Gallia has…Gallia Chronicles: A history and census of the Beast Nation… Sophadias' Research on Laguz Anatomy… Feast of the Finest: Gallia's Famous Dishes… and… Ok, someone's been reading Torch. Gravitons and Long Hadron Colliders? Seriously, people; you're not THAT far into technology. At least for maybe a few millennia.

I cracked open the Laguz anatomy research papers first, seeing that if Skrimir was the kind of person I thought he was, he'll be asking about fighting skills and whatnot. I am NOT powerful, at all; insanely analytical: YES. So I might as well learn anatomy to get some edge.

Like that kid in that movie… what was the term… Judo? No… Krav Maga? Ugh, too obscure… oh yeah! Karate.

Well, their weaknesses in humanoid form are the same, but in animal form their big spot is their nose. They will definitely get mad if you pull the tail, and the back of their neck was supposed to be a weak spot. However, that was just for beasts. Bird laguz were weak at the core of the wing, as well as the elbow joints of the wings. Dragons were weak at the tail and the top of their head. This could be the reason why dragons were formidable opponents… the weak spots were hard to hit, unless you were insanely strong.

Guess the next is the cookbook. Huh? I skipped the History of Gallia? SCREW THAT!

…it's not like there's much to it anyway… mostly just who was who when… blah blah blah. *sigh* Fine… Besides, I can whip up dishes like that anyway… like my Roku Spice Ni-Sauce Soup. Though people always thought I used some kinda rock or onions… when I use Candell's. [Roku= six, Ni=two. Roku Spice Ni-sauce soup= Six Spice Two-Sauce soup. by the way, it's teriyaki and soy sauce.]

Upon reading, the census wasn't that bad, info-wise. Crops, Fish, when Zarzi was proclaimed the capital of Gallia (hmm… A.S. 64? Weird…)… hmm… the latest date is… 647… and it looks to be around fall here.

HOLD IT!!! I WAS OUT FOR THAT LONG??? Oh snap. And they called it "two days." HMPH. Unless this is whatever-the-world's southern hemisphere. If it was spring on North Earth, then it'd be fall here… so this'd be South whatever.

Next I guess is the cookbook. Hmm… not much more info than… good grief, lots of meat dishes, from venison to pork to some weird animal called a "prascorus"… and… *spaz out moment* you're kidding me… AHHH!!! TAKOYAKI!!! Ok, calm down Jeremy calm down…

I cracked open Torchwo- I mean, 'Gravitons and Long hadron Colliders' just for kicks. Interestingly enough, it has lots and lots of science diagrams that possibly no laguz could read… nor beorc, for that matter…

Hmm… this does NOT look like a Tellian book either. Too neat of print for this age, and if anyone could, it looks nearly… new… and it smells of… *sniffs* computer ink… I guess Giffca has become quite the stalker. It still freaks me out a bit, but… I guess that's not bad, considering he was in a different world after all… I hope he didn't shift while he was there. I can see it now: RARE BLACK LION FOUND ON HIGHWAY 321! IF YOU SEE IT, PLEASE CONTACT 1-800-CATCHER. IN OTHER NEWS, A 15-YEAR OLD MALE HAS BEEN ABDUCTED. AN AMBER ALERT HAS BEEN ISSUED. IF YOU SEE HIM, PLEASE CONTACT 1-800-LOSTBOY.

Oh my… how much the water temperature has gone up… and I'm surprised that Giffca wasn't caught by the police already. SHEESH.

I heard yet another knock at the door. I said a small "Come in." and all of a sudden the same man I just thought about came in.

He wordlessly came toward the chair next to the bed and sat beside me. He looks even larger than when far away. MUCH larger. Especially when he's about two feet from my face.

"I… have someone who would like to know you better, to put it simply." He said. Blunt. So what else is new… wait… OH NO… not _him_… *sigh* let's get this over with… I just hope this doesn't become awkward… nevermind, it just did. WARNING: INCOMING HAM.

"You can come in now." Giffca called to someone outside the door. It wasn't Skrimir, thankfully, but rather that purple tiger that came earlier. Umm… Kyza. Giffca left the small room and Kyza took the spot next to where the lion was, just looking at me thoughtfully. CRISIS SOMEWHAT AVERTED.

I stared blankly at him, not knowing what he was doing. Did he see me somewhere before now? Do I look like someone? Is there something on my face? Wait… *sigh* why am I so random??? Hmm? He's… smiling?

He grunted and said, "Welcome to Gallia, young sir." …Sir???

I nodded in affirmation. Unfortunately I forgot that some cultures are way too… what's the word?... Intimate? No… umm… CLINGY? No… ah yes… no personal space.

He grabbed my right shoulder and pulled me in near his chest. Uh-oh…

"Kch. Kch-kch-KCH." I sneezed enough times to think I was going to go on a sneeze rant. If you haven't guessed, allergies plus a big tiger laguz equals a not-so-ok me.

"…you okay?" Kyza asked. "Oh by the way, my name is Kyza." Like I didn't already know that, Dupin.

"Gkk…" Was all I could say. He was holding me tighter and… and… and… I'm turning BLUE HERE!!! LET GO!!!

He let go of me and I gasped for air… now that I mention air… "Kch!" Sneeze. Hack. _**HAX.**_

"Well, I believe I've overstayed a bit, so I'll say goodbye for now. Hope you feel better, young sir." Finally. My nostrils are starting to clear up and… why am I being called sir??? Then again, Kyza overused honorifics to the point of annoyance, so I suppose there is that to consider.

*Yawn*… I feel tired. I'm not suitable for this… *sigh*…

* * *

"_Huh?" _

"_We're sure of it. He's the one you've been looking for. He matches all of the criteria. Except for one."_

"_And that would be…"_

"_He's a beorc." _

"…"

* * *

So, someone wants me. Who is it? Only chapter 5 will tell… now to update matchmaker and Sam. Poor Sam! Arrghz.

New School Year is a pain. Time to load this baby… *hoists onto forum* *tries to update more often*

If anyone can guess who this mystery person is (and I expect a lot of random guesses) correctly, they get to see my preview of a special fic I might work on. :D

Just click that big green button with Review scribbled all over it. Oh, and kudos to anyone who can name ten tropes I used in this chapter. Expect a lot more. TRUST ME! XD

L'Arachel: Is the button… Flashing?

Umm… Yes?

L'Arachel: THEN BY MY DIVINE GUIDANCE! CLICK IT!!!! 8D Besides, You can never have too much flashiness~

O_o K… Well, unless you want L'Arachel ranting about how reviewers need divine guidance to press a button, I suggest doing it now, before she starts preparing a bunch of Shine and Lightning. Oh, and Dozla might come along with her. Gulp!

See you next chapter!


	5. Dreams

Ch. 5.

Enjoy. Note: I don't really say curse words, unless it's the weird voice inside my head that might say them sometimes. I then tell him to be a bit more restrictive with words.

* * *

*Yawn* That was a good nap-

"Good to see you're up!" Someone _cheerfully_ replied.

WHOOOOOA. Oh, and cue eye bulge.

Oh. Just Ranulf… I think. I think a lot don't I?

I sat up in the bed, finding my bandages off my stomach. Instead, a bunch of red pressure marks were there. Apparently my nap took a week… or more… snap… I didn't think it'd take that long…

My stuff hadn't moved a bit… wait… t-there's more of my stuff? FREAK-Y…

"…You're pretty quiet, aren't you? I'd better not be the only one you feel that way to."He said. "I'd feel a bit out of the loop…" He trailed off.

Yes, Ranulf. Yes I am quiet. You're not the only one I'm stoic to, trust me.

Someone roared in the distance… LION. HAM. GRR… I'm beginning to see why people called me messed up now… hahaha…

"Sir Ranulf!!!" I presumed that to be Kyza. Lemme guess: _'Skrimir got caught in a bunch of laundry lines and ended up looking like he got mauled by women!'_ … or something like that.

"Yes!?" Ranulf yelled.

"It's the coffee! Don't drink it!" Kyza responded. OH NO… I smell Shenanigans…

Ranulf then ran off out the door and into the hallway. Someone sipped something and fell on top of a probably-expensive vase. Those poor, priceless relics of unrecorded…

"MEOWR!"

Oh dear… I wonder what that was…

Ranulf came in looking like he just got smooched by Lethe and Lyre at the same time… he's awfully… cheery… er… _'cherry'_…

"Now… 'at' sum gud… steepers… 'ight 'dere…" OH NO NO NO NO NO…

Who DID such a thing!? THE AGONY! _NOT._

I got out a pen and notepad. How did I have that? I might never know.

I showed Kyza my notepad.

"Yes, someone has unfortunately steeped the tea and mixed in catnip-flavored wine." Kyza replied. "…but why would you write it when you can speak as well?" He asked.

I scribbled some more.

"Ah… save your voice…yes I can read quite well, thank you… that would make sense. But for what?"

Scribble, scribble, scribble…

"…You sing? …sometimes? Hmm… umm… what's Japanis?" He asked. I edited it so he'd get it. AGH. Of course he wouldn't know how to say Japanese right. He's never heard of the country.

"Oh… _Japanese_… got'cha." Kyza said. "RRRowr…" Ranulf meowed. Someone PLEASE get him off the floor. Kinda embarrassing if you're a general anyways…

"Hey, Kyza, where did…" A green-garbed cat ran to the doorway. "Oh that's just DANDY. Get your sick, perverted [bleep] off the floor, captain! Get yourself together!!" She said as she dragged Ranulf's you-know what out the door. Probably Lethe… Y'know, I don't remember her saying 'dandy' at all. Where were they from, the 50's?

"Did you find…" Lyre stuck her head out of the doorway as well. "Oh. There he is. I can't believe he did it again…" she said. Huh? She doesn't like Ranulf? Ok, something's going on…crack.

Scribble…

"He wants to get some rest, Lethe. Shall we?" Kyza said. The door closed shut while went off to Lalaland or wherever it's called when you go to sleep… oh yeah. Dream Dimension.

Now that I'm in, it's kinda weird. Reality's Physics don't apply.

1) emotion controls what you and your surroundings are, not just what you do. If you feel lonely, the D2 will change to reflect the loneliness, for example. Or if you get nervous about something, then the D2 will show the situation and what will happen during the event.

2) Gravity and direction is determined by will and/or joyous emotion, not at a set ratio. Think of it as microgravity, but it can be different for each person. Someone who's sad will have a different gravity than someone who's happy.

3) Your mind has a RDG. Short for "Random Data Generator". This determines the initial setting of the dream, as well as different people or characters(I've had FE characters appear in them before), as well as any number of random events, such as a giant maze appearing, something blowing up, sucked into a haunted freak show dimension, etc. (all this happened in my dreams at one point or another.)

4) The events will seem pointless, but are either for improvement or entertainment. A third or less likely explanation is that the brain shows you a "review" of the day with some previous events from say, last week, put in as well.

5) _In D2, Reality _**NEVER**_ Ensues._ Some things appear plausible, but one aspect or another will be entirely fictitious.

Speaking of which, I'll let you know *yawn* after a bit… zzz…

* * *

I awoke again with someone gently rubbing my shoulder. Agh… I needz mah SHLEEP. LEMME SHLEEP.

I drifted back to sleep pretty quickly. Well, until I heard their voice.

"_Y-You're him, aren't you? You look so much like him… I… I found you… haven't I?" ZZZ… mphm? Found who???_They kept rubbing me…. They know that makes me sleepy… must… see… who… it… IS… RAR-*thwack* ow. That mental slap hurt a bit.

Now that I listen to them, it sounds like a large male. Deep voice, too. Don't come along guys like that very often. That rumble sounds pretty familiar… but I've never heard it before. How do I know it???

I tried moving my arm. He gave a sudden jolt, shoving his hand back to his side. He tried touching my hair; believe me, it pretty weird when a big guy starts feeling your hair when you're trying to shleep.

_DOES HE HAVE ANY IDEA HOW CREEPY he's ACTING RIGHT NOW? STALKER! PERV! PEDO! TEDDY- wait. What?_

"_Just like your mother's…"_

_YEAH I BET YOU PERVERT. How'd you know my mom anyway? Or… that's probably the guy who thinks I'm his son or… younger brother… if this is turning into what I think it is, oh boy is this messed up._

"_You've grown so much… yet, you still look like you did, those years ago. So much time has passed, little one. Welcome. Welcome h-ah...now I see what Giffca meant. You really aren't him. Poor child." _

I hate to break the moment, but I have NO IDEA what he's talking about. Maybe the one you're referring to got taken and raised by bandits who're led by a former Gallian general? Just saying.

He got up and softly shut the door…and I… can't…seem to...wake…up.…zzz….zzz….zzz….zzz….zzz……zzz…

* * *

"_Are you sure, father?"_

"_Yes, son. He isn't your brother. But, I'm sure that you'll find a worthy friend in him."_

"…_Yes sir."_

"_Don't look so grim, little one. I'm sure we'll find him. Even if it takes scouring the universe."_

"…"

* * *

I opened my eyes quickly. Was that just a dream? Or did someone really come in and do that?

Light was pouring through the windows of the room. Speaking of which, they weren't the same ones I had the night before. Someone must have moved my body while I was asleep. I wonder who…

Oh, another knock on the door. I replied "Come in." and there stood Mordecai. Yep, the big furry blue tiger. I believe he was the only one absent during the Drunken Ranulf Escapade Number One. The way that cat is, he's bound to have more of those.

"Hello." He entered in and (again, for some reason) sat in the same way that Giffca and Kyza did earlier in the chair that was at the desk about five feet from me. Apparently that was Gallian Custom #1: How to sit in a chair. He, again, looked me over. Creepy how they always do that. Gallian Etiquette #1: Look at a new person with great suspicion: he or she _won't_ see it that you think they could be suspicious.

His face didn't change, but his tail swished around like those balloon-things at car dealerships. What was he doing??? Was he waiting for me to talk or what? SAY SOMETHING MORDY. NAO.

"…" He just stared in thought at me.

… … … AGH!!! SAY SOMETHING NAO OR I WILL NOT BE A HAPPY BOY.

…And I realize how crazy I was right there. To anyone viewing this, I'm sorry.

I laid there like a stump while he was looking me over. My stomach still felt sore… how hard did Giffca hit me??? I tried turning over, but he stopped me.

"No, little one." I'm not little. I wouldn't call around six feet little. "You must not move. If you want to get better, then resting would do you well." What happened? Amnesia after Skrimir pouncing me?

"W-what… happened???" My voice croaked. Why did I sound so weak? "And… why… am I… here, exa…exactly?" I managed. I need answers. And I need them NAO.

"Mordecai does not know. But I am sure that you will find why you are here."

Y'know, he actually talks pretty fluently. I remember him talking worse than Danved/Devdan's Street Performer Dialect. But, Mordecai really is nice. Now if only…

"W-where…am…I?" I said.

"You are in the Royal Guest Room of Gallia. Until we make better accommodations for you, you may rest here in the Castle." Mordecai said. "And beware the looks some people will give you. Mordecai knows that beorc-laguz terms are still in repair." Nice notice. I'll keep that in mind.

"Mm…" I nodded. He smiled, but not showing his teeth. His tail also swished around slightly faster, around four more beats per minute, I estimated.

I'm such a band geek.

"Umm…"

"Yes, little one?"

DON'T CALL ME LITTLE! "D-do…you think that… I-I could… have… the briefcase?"

With that he promptly got my computer case and set it down next to my left side. I placed it against the wall of the room, which happened to be on my right.

"…thanks." I felt kinda bad that I didn't have enough energy to get up yet. Now I know how Rhys feels when he's out sick. I'd say 'with the flu,' but the flu was serious here, as far as I know.

He got up from the seat and somehow had some documents in his hand. HUH!? DOCUMENTS!?!?

Oh wait. Those could be…

"Charts say that you will be up within the week."

CUE DRUM ROLL.

"And that you will need to come to the dining hall after you're able to walk."

Wait for it…

"…Skrimir has something for you."

*plays air saxophone* *WHOM-WHOM-WHOM-WHOOOOOOM* Oh dear. What now? I know he wants to test me on something, I just know it.

"Ok." I said. I'm WAY too tired to deal with this. Even at full strength, I'm not going to be able to fend off a full-grown CAT, much less a LION. They're possbily larger than Andre… sheesh, that IS big.

"If you need anything, just ring the bell. Someone will come. Ring when you're about to walk as well." Well that's nice. And not sarcastically, either. It seems Mordecai is as nice as he was in the games. Just don't diss his race or friends and he's cooler than a PenPen chillin' in Maworu's apartment. Gotta love penguins…

I decided that maybe it was time to sleep again. Maybe I'll have a good dream instead of no words whatsoever about what happened in my dreams?

* * *

"_Jeremy…"_

Who is this?

"_That you? Really?"_

Uh… yeah???

"_Oh thank goodness. We'd thought we lost you on our detectors."_

Yet again: who be this?

"_Oh! Sorry… I'm Jeremiel."_

You mean the Archangel of Dreams and Prophecy? HEY! I remember reading about you online!!!

"_I see I've grown a bit of fame on your world. From texts, anyway."_

Yes.

"_I've come to tell you about what has happened in your absence. It's not the End-of-The-World, it's not that horrible; just a little update for you on what's going on in your world."_

That helps. So what's been happening with the folks back home?

"_Well, for starters, people have sent an amber alert for you. No one has found your body, and there are lots of people who are worrying about you. Olivia, if I recall, wants you back desperately; she's pretty much an emotional wreck. That is, until something else happened."_

Like what?

"_Oddly enough, people from your school have gotten abducted, without any trace visible, aside from various markings such as a cut on a door, a small talon mark on a armoire, and a small scorch mark on a wall that had no clear explanation. Yours was the door, by the way." _

How did a cut on the door happen? Giffca smashed it that badly?

"_Apparently, yes. There was also a slightly bent Tennis Racket, if I recall."_

LE GASP! My poor, poor, racket…

"_You know I could ask one of the others to do that, you know. Quantum Physics is hard compared to fixing one, and we happen to all be highly smart."_

On multiple levels.

"_True. You're very perceptive for your age, but even so, you shouldn't hesitate to call out to us Angels should you need us."_

I'll keep that in mind. Thanks!

"_You're very welcome. Oh, I see you'll find that there's more links to your world than you think. Much, much, more. Come to think of it, there were other things Metatron wrote down that I happened to look at about others being transported as well, for some unknown reason. I'll get back to you on that, though I suspect Elemental activity."_

That it?

"_I believe so. I'll let you know if something interesting happens and I do believe you have a visitor in your room as we speak. He has something to ask you anyway. Why don't you go answer him?"_

'k. Bye for now, Jeremiel.

"_I'll see you later, Jeremy. See you soon~"_

* * *

Feeling a bit groggy, I opened my eyes… and I couldn't believe what I saw.

* * *

CLIFFHANGER!!! DRAMA!!! And when I become head Fanfiction Writer all female writers will be required to wear… TINY MINISKIRTS!!!

Kyza: *nosebleeds Lyre thoughts*

That… was unneccessary hahaha.

Have fun guessing who got stuck in my room this time.

SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!

Note there will be characters from my other fics that are possible choices. Anyone. Even Iram, who had a brief cameo in either chapter 6 or 8 of Shijin no Orbi, who I didn't even get to know much on. 8D

Late-night Archive Binge sessions are the best!

Oh, and I turned 15 Tuesday! I hope you guys are reading this fic… Because this is my Magnum so far.

See you later. Until then~


	6. Cervida

**Chapter 6**

Ok, enough of these bedridden chapters. I'll try to update more often, but the way that band is going I probably won't be able to get a steady stream of stuff through until mid I dunno when. And it's about time I get this going; :D Trust me, this'll be a tough fic. But I will say that the 3rd-5th chapters were indeed necessary.

If anyone finds the jokes in the fic offensive please let me know.

Enjoy. Sorry for errors. Comp needs a hammer if it won't work. QED

"Due to the confusion that this fanfiction and fandom will have, reader discretion is advised."

* * *

I awoke slowly, since that conversation with Jeremiel took more energy from my sleep than I thought. What I wasn't prepared for was what I saw before me.

"Are you alright, little one? You should be able to walk now." A large voice said. Wait… What the!? SKRIMIR!?!? AND WHY'S HE IN LION FORM!?

I'd opened my eyes and jumped to the back of the wall. What the crap was he doing here??? Wait. Now I remember.

"_Skrimir has something for you." _Or something like that. Guess he couldn't wait any longer. I don't blame him; I've been out for what, three weeks?

I checked under the bed and found myself redressed, AGAIN. Actually I have no complaint on this matter, random comments. Anyway.

AGH! Headache… I had to clutch my head in order to dull the pain. Apparently that got Skrimir riled up or something, because he got wide-eyed, or at least as wide as lion eyes could get. Umm… WHY AM I BEING- oh, I'm on Skrimir's back now.

"Hold on tight." He said. I tried clutching to his mane, but he started running at an outrageous pace. I ended up clutching the scruff on his neck… which ended horribly.

"Uh… Skrimir???" I asked.

He stared into space. I lifted my hand, and well…

"AH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

I had to hold onto his neck with both hands for both my sanity and my life. Just how fast was he going?

OH NO… NOT THE-

"AH!!!!!!!!!!!"

He outright jumped at least two flights of stairs onto the red carpet of the throne room, which was around the size of… hmm… somewhere around a mix of an auditorium and a cathedral… just not… cathedralized. He landed and I flopped onto the floor like a fish without missing a beat. Meanwhile, I noticed that a couple of guards were holding up signs of "10"… this isn't Olympia, morons, this is GALLIA. Needless to say I'm a bit befuddled. And scarred.

"You did it again, Prince Skrimir; that's the twelfth time this week." AGAIN, what is this? Bread and Circus Day? Week? YEAR? CHAPTER? Ok, not the last one.

"And you've gotten a new record, I see. Well done." I heard some random guy clapping. WAIT, THAT WAS THE KING???

It might just be me but this is really messed up. (No duh, ya think?)

"Thank you, my king." His Princeliness answered. Caineghis looked down, apparently waiting for an answer since his shadow was looming over me, me being on the floor. (Not Giffca, the light shadow)

No answer. Falling from two stories and letting gravity take control left me with more than just lion lag. Nausea, stomachache, back pains, vertigo, motion sickness and dizziness, to name a few, which is NOT going to be cured with Pepto-Bismol.

"If this is the best warrior from their world, then it's a pitiful world indeed." Lethe whispered.

I'm not a warrior at all Lethe; trust me. Just a seemingly-useless-non-action-guy-at-command-central kinda person.

"Well, once he cheers up a bit, get him ready for combat practice. IF your listening, little one…" GRR… "Prepare for battle."

Oh joy. I wonder who my opponent is.

"Sire! Sire! Si-ah!" A brown cat tripped over a slightly higher cobblestone and rammed right into the floor.

"Ah, Armand. You bring news?" Caineghis bellowed. The brown cat got up and bowed.

"Yes. There appears to be clan wars to the Northeast. The fights are not only endangering the clans' women and children, but those of other cities and their citizens as well. I've received a message from the elder of Cervida. He says to send help immediately, and to watch out for stray clan members."

"Might I suggest a query, Your Majesty?" Giffca asked. Oh dear I have a bad feeling and I don't have m'scythe. … What? I know how to use scythes, along with tonfas and ninja weapons… and my lance/scythe/staff hybrid thingamajig that I wanted for this type of situation.

"Speak, Giffca." His High[ham-*ow*]ness said.

"Since the young one is apparently able to move, why not test his ability to survive with this predicament?" The shadow asked.

HOLD IT! I DON'T HAVE A WEAPON! Well, sure my fists, but … the last time that happened… shudder... ow……

"I believe you may be on to something. Have Mordecai, Lethe, Lyre, and Kyza accompany him. They should be sufficient to protect him from harm and get him out of harm's way should he get in a bind." Cainy said. (Meh, his abbrev name sounds funny)

AH Schlingenfreugen. I have no idea what I just said but I think it fits. So basically my so-called "training" is warding off raging beasts at least twice my size and getting clawed in various places. OH JOY.

"Yes Sir." All four bowed while I was still lying on the floor like a sack. Next thing I knew Kyza had me on his back and we went to OZ! *cough* I mean, Cervida.

In a few hours. It'd probably be a couple of hours until we got there, so they left to pack belongings and whatnot. Kyza carried me up the stairs and into the guest room, where he placed me like a ragdoll on the bed, still sick from lion lag.

"Still woozy I see. I hope you can forgive Skrimir; he's overly rambunctious at times, but he means well. He got you up, anyway." Kyza explained.

"dfanfos adfmoawog gnoafmrasssen *splat*" I'm on the bed now, trying to say words but nothing coming out, save random mumbling.

"Still asleep I see. Though you heard His Majesty right? Well, better get out of your mental bed and wake up, little one. This… it's your world now." Kyza said.

"Hm?" That got my attention VERY WELL. And my home is on EARTH. Not TELLIUS. I made my mind up last year not to go here anymore. Besides, it's a hassle anyway.

"No one told you? Well, I guess you'll figure it out on the way there. Either way, you're here now." He explained. NOTHING.

"Wait. Then… why did Giffca-" I started.

"We will explain in due time. Meanwhile, you should probably wait near where the others are going to meet, in the dining hall. Don't be late now; Lethe will tear your head off if you are late." Kyza said. Hmm… he's being overly… nice… wonder why…

"If it helps you any, I can probably carry my bags…" I countered.

"Don't worry. I can handle plenty more of this; any warrior unable to would be quite puny if you ask me."

I decided to rummage through my belongings Giffca had brought in. Inside were clothes, bunches and bunches of clothes and my coats, my DS, my phone, and surprisingly my IPod too. I suppose that moving someone from different worlds is Serious Business, but why so much? Am I going to be here forever? I simply cannot have such… simplicity like this… my mind would turn to MUSH!!! MUSH I TELL THEE- *bonk*

Ok, stopping that thought before it gets outta hand.

"So… do you mind telling me why I am being treated in this manner?" I asked.

"How so?" Kyza countered, again. His face was one of serious curiosity.

"Like a tourist, wealthy client, _a prince who ran away from home and finally got back, _et cetera." I said.

"Et cetera?" Kyza asked. Apparently Latin won't apply.

"The list goes on." I explained.

"Ah." He mouthed. I get the feeling something's going on. TIME FOR SUBPLOTTING! Or something like that… "Well, your our guest, so we'd like for you to be comfortable."

"I'm flattered," I said flatly. "But is there a more destiny-related reason as to why I am here in the middle of a gigantic forest full of felines?" Say _that_ ten times fast.

Kyza sighed. "Have some patience and we'll tell you on the way _there._" Uh-oh. Not Good. At ALL.

"'k…" I whispered. It's a common rule of thumb that you DON'T want to make your first acquaintances in a new world mad. They could employ all manner of random stuffs and shenanigans to make you miserable. Kyza and I packed in relative silence after that. He seemed a bit more stressed than usual; probably me that did it. Stupid mouth… and patience…

We went down the stairs and into the dining hall, on the second floor. Apparently there's at least three floors, me being on the 3rd. I didn't like my greeting.

"Hi," I said and bowed, just in time to dodge a lunge Lethe made over my head. "Lethe."

"Hmph. You'll survive." Ouch, Lethe, you're hurting my feelings! Too much tsun in your tsundere!

"Lethe." Mordecai started. "We have big things to worry about; not little Jeremy." GRR! I TOLD YA NOT TO CALL ME- Wait, I didn't tell them. Probably should do that…- LITTLE!

"Anyway, do you have the provisions?" Kyza asked. Mordy nodded and showed the bag.

"Ah, before we forget, here." Lethe handed (more like threw) a box at me. OOH! Is it… shiny? Umm… nevermind… don't be like Fighters…

"Open it when we get to the village. You might like what is inside." Mordecai said. Is it a weapon???

"Um… I…have a question…" I muttered. Mouth…won't move… ARGHZ.

"Speak louder; but what?" Lethe asked.

"Since I can't… move fast, I'm guessing that means I ride on one of you two?" I pointed to Kyza or Mordecai. I am not so sure if Lethe could stand a 200-ish lb. person riding her back for around an hour. Unless they really do push the limit…

"You will ride on me, little one." Mordecai said. Cool; I get a blue talking tiger mount. Now WHERE'S MAH STAFF!? AND ENOUGH OF THE LITTLE ONE!!!

"Okay." I said.

I kept quiet the whole time they briefed. We were to go to Cervida, find the clans, help them make up and go back here until the next assignment. It'll probably take us until morning to do so; I'm not so fond of overnight trips.

They all shifted into their beast forms, Mordecai crouching so I could get on.

"Hold tight, Jeremy." Mordecai then let out a roar and sprinted out the doors, out the palace, over a river and into the woods, Lethe and Kyza following suit. It's too bad Grandma's House isn't nearby…

* * *

I almost passed out halfway through our trip. We were going around 35 mph, or 56km/h, and there were no windshields.

"Are you alright???" Kyza asked. Oddly enough he really seemed worried. "Should we take you back to the castle? You look a bit green."

"I'm… I'm alright. I just… y'know…" I couldn't think. What was the term???

"He's just having mount lag. Let's go." Lethe said. Thanks, I guess…

Almost five minutes after that I fell asleep on Mordy's back. Fur plus breeze plus warmth equals me in lalaland.

I didn't know before now but tiger fur is pretty soft in wind. It might be just me though. We didn't have much trouble getting there… for ten minutes.

"Hey! Someone! Help!" A voice from afar said. That broke me from my sleep.

"That was not the village, but they are in danger. Lethe, what should we do?" Mordecai said.

"Well, since I happen to be in a helpful mood, we might as well check. What does the hu-er, beorc think?" Lethe said. So I'm a beorc now?

I simply nodded my head, and off we went towards the voice. Not too long did we see a group of three travelers; A young blonde-haired scholar in blue robes, An older brown-haired laguz man in a leather vest and green khaki-like pants with a somewhat larger build, and a young girl who was lying down with a rag atop her head, dressed in a red gi with a green, glittery sash and a small jeweled sword on her left side.

"What do you need?" Mordecai asked the young scholar. My grogginess didn't help much; as soon as he shifted back to laguz form I started to drift off again. It appeared that he was carrying me on his back, and had no problem holding me up. Heh… big guy can do a lot.

"Our lady has fallen ill with an unknown disease. Do you have any services that can help her?" The older laguz said.

"Well… what do you know isn't normal about her? Like a cough, sneezing, fever? What does she have?" I asked.

"Well… she has coughed quite a bit lately, and sometimes there's some green gunk that comes out of her throat sometimes." The scholar said.

"Oh. Well, that'll be over in a couple of days. She probably just has a mild case of a rhinovirus. It sounds kinda bad, but it's not as it sounds; though I will say in advance it could be a bit gross. Treatment is to just let her rest until her body gets better and have her drink some water to clear the phlegm out of her throat every couple of hours. Though I will ask, has she and what has she eaten in the last few days?" I explained.

"Well, she had a couple slices of bread, a glass of water, a bit of cheese, and a little bit of some chicken we cooked." The scholar said.

"Was it cooked well enough?" Kyza asked this time.

"Well, it was pretty hot to the touch. We could barely get it off the spit without burning our fingers."

"Whew. That's good. She doesn't have salmonella." I said.

"What's salmonella?" the brown-haired laguz man asked.

"A disease you can get from undercooking poultry. It's hard to get medicine for it, so make sure to cook meat properly so you don't get yourself, or others, sick." I said.

"How do you know all this stuff, Jeremy?" Mordecai asked while trying to look at me with a confused look.

"My mom worked in a restaurant, and they had to follow the requirements for making food set by the government where I came from." I said.

"Ah. So that's how you know about this, little one." Mordecai replied. Yep; I like to think I know a lot about most food-based questions.

"Thank you for your input. By the way, since we've exchanged pleasantries, I suppose it would be in order to introduce ourselves. I'm Baldwin, the sage is Clement, and the lass is Calandra." The tiger laguz, now named Baldwin, stated.

"Nice to meet you. I am Kyza, and this is Lethe, Mordecai, and I believe you already heard Jeremy."

"It is nice to meet you as well. I suppose you are all laguz?" Clement adjusted his eyeglasses as he said the phrase.

"All except Jeremy. He's a beorc." Mordecai curtly replied. "But we must hurry. Cervida is close by, right?"

"Yes. Just head down the path you're on right now about 3 mini-marks and you'll be there." Clement pointed towards the northeast. "We were just about to head that direction from Caineghi. Unfortunately Calandra fell ill and we've been camping since 3 days ago."

"That explains the amenities." I looked and found they had a small fire going, a medium-size supply caravan, a bowl full of clear water, a picnic basket complete with a blanket, and what seemed to be a temporary clothesline. "By the way… since we are both going in the same direction," I looked towards the new trio, "would it be alright to travel together? If you aren't in too big of a bind."

"Jeremy, I'm not sure if that is such a good idea. If they get caught up in the mess we have to do we could become a bit more famous, or _in_famous, than we should get from this." Lethe interjected.

Time for a counterpoint. "Well, while there are disadvantages such as slowed time as far as the caravan goes and possible collisions or calamities, there are more advantages to a group of five or six compared to three or four, along with being able to put our loads into the caravan and make it easier on our shoulders; Baldwin, Clement, are you able to fight?" I explained. Hopefully they could help. Tactical Talk is in progress.

"Well, I'm able to shift into my tiger form and Clement happens to be a sage versed in Anima and Staff usages, which come in handy at urgent times. Calandra is our beauty part, if you will; she's an excellent shot and a skilled swordswoman. It was unfortunate she fell sick with the disease." Baldwin stated. Hmm… these guys are pretty good, and it seems that they have enough experience to be halfway between beginner and intermediate tiers. I hope they're not… Jeigans…

"Shouldn't we hurry to the village?" Lethe said with a bored look and her right foot stamping the ground in an impatient manner.

"I'll stay with Calandra and make sure she's alright. You guys go on ahead. Clement, I trust that you can handle this without me?" Baldwin asked.

"I believe so. Keep her safe, ok?" Clement replied. "So… which of you do I need to get on? I'm guessing you? Kyza, right?" the sage asked as he pointed to the pale lavender tiger. Kyza nodded and shifted into tiger form.

We left Baldwin with Calandra and set off back towards Cervida. I tried hard not to fall asleep on Mordy's back, but I had to lay low since if I sat up, I would probably slow the two of us down immensely. And… and… DON'T JUDGE ME I FEEL WARM! I get sleepy if I feel warm…sheesh.

"Do you like me that much, little one?" Mordecai asked. Sorry, Mordecai; I'm falling ashleep.

I'm not sure but I believe I just saw Mordecai smile a little bit in his tiger form.

Night…er, day. Whatever time it is.

We arrived at Cervida promptly around 3:00 PM. The village elder had already been standing at the gates waiting for our merry little troop to arrive. Clement and I got off of Kyza and Mordy, respectively, and entered into the village.

It seemed as though there was nothing wrong in the village; men and women were doing household chores, some men and the older teenagers taking care of the children. There were a few kids running around, playing with each other and sometimes pouncing, trying to start a play-fight. Makes me feel saddened by my childhood. CUE FLASHBACK!

"_I said, NO, Matt!" I yelled at my older brother. He was almost 8 years older and a whole lot less mature, even though people called me mature for my age. My grandma would stop the fighting, or Mom, or Dad if he was around. We never got along, even to this day._

I know I shouldn't say it, but… it makes me want to be like them again. Though, I know it cannot happen. I know too much! (He knows too much!) Ok, that was weird. And that was the shortest flashback sequence since I don't know when.

"Welcome to Cervida. The Chief wants to meet you. If you'd come this way please." A young woman said. She looked no older than maybe 16 or 17, but she had to have been around 80ish.

We followed past the fire circle (probably where they cooked group meals) and into a tent-like cabin structure that was larger than the rest of them, most likely the Chieftain's house. (Hur dur durr)

"Ah, young travelers; welcome to Cervida. I suppose that you are a bit weary from your journey, so there are beds prepared for you, and in case of food and drink, there's plenty of fruit, venison, and water; there's also some local wines should you prefer stronger drinks, and should you have the need for a pick-me up, we did make a new keg of Kirika Cola." The chieftain of the tribe said. He looked around maybe Cainy's age; maybe a bit younger. His robes were sort of like a gi, but they were a bright cherry red, three black stripes down the left side, with somewhat golden-tinted fur boots, probably from a deer.

I wonder why they have cola? And what flavor is it? It better not be catnip…

"Thank you, Chief Cervida. We came-"

"About the tribal conflicts, am I right?" the leader said. Swift mind. He gets a check.

"Yes. To whom are you engaged in battle?" Kyza replied. Kyza, you're outta the castle, speak normally unless that's your normal accent. Sheesh…no, I'm just kidding.

"Currently, the renegade Alkarid clan has been ransacking a few of our homes to the south. We would like to talk to them to see why they do so, but whenever we do we end up in combat…" the chief said with a grim side look.

"Ah. I remember other reports of Alkarid attacks; but those were only rumors, right? They were defeated fifty years ago…" Lethe raised an eyebrow. "They're supposed to have been exiled from Gallia; I'm wondering why they are back."

"Maybe the 'Changing of the Reins'?" I asked.

"What do you mean, little one?" Mordecai asked.

"I would like to know as well." The Chief said.

"Basically, whenever a ruler abdicates and a new ruler emerges, most often there will another group that will rise against the new ruler so they can seize the metaphorical throne. In other words, most likely the ruler that the Alkarid have now forgot about the exiling and has now deemed the time fit to start a new Alkarid ground inside Gallia again." I explained. Confusing? Probably so.

"So you're saying the old chief lost and a new, more brash chief was made. He then wasn't told that his or her clan had been exiled and is looking for the Alkarid grounds once more. Am I right on what your saying?" the Chief said.

"Pretty much, in a nutshell." I said.

"Very well. When available, I shall personally see to it that we make a treaty to them, hopefully that they will make a cease-fire on our homes. Oh, and if you're wondering, you can call me by my regular name if you want. The name's Edom." Chief Edom said. He seems nice. I just hope the Alkarid will be this nice when we meet them.

Probably not.

* * *

**OMAKE!!! : Mordecai's Secret Hobby**

We were en route to Cervida when this little scene happened.

"Hmm… the little guy looks like he's asleep. Mordecai, what do your instincts say about Jeremy?" Kyza asked.

"Mordecai will not diverge in anime memes." Said blue tiger looked to the side.

"What's this about anime, Mordy? Don't tell me you secretly go websurf at 2am when no one is awake?" I asked. "…You didn't use my laptop, did you?" No answer. "Mordy… you're feeling warmer than normal. I find you guilty under the law of HAX."

Mordecai didn't say anything. I hope I didn't embarrass the big guy. I saw Lethe suppress a laugh under her uncharacteristic Cheshire cat grin, and Kyza looking questioningly at Mordy, who was currently slowing down just a bit from the blush.

I had to do it. I didn't mean to do it. Honest!

"Mordecai, if it makes you feel any better, I didn't mean what I said; I don't mean to offend you or anyone. I'm sorry."

"…That hurt." Was all he said.

I rubbed his neck area with my left hand and he started purring randomly. It's pretty weird when you can coax a who-knows-how-old guy into a euphoria.

"I can get you a few things you like if you want, just tell me what they are when we get back." I coaxed again.

"…ok." Mordecai grinned a little bit.

Cue Awwwww~ and SQUEE! fangirls.

"Mordecai, I think Jeremy just found your leash." Lethe muttered.

I stared at Lethe. "If you continue with that, the Poland Rule will come into effect and your capital will become Warsaw." I pointed while holding onto Mr. Animesurfer here.

"Huh?" Lethe looked with a raised eyebrow and mouth slightly open.

"…Hetalia." Mordecai whispered.

I nearly fell off trying to suppress a giggle fit, and Kyza just look plain confused.

Ah…good times. Good times.

* * *

And there you have my WAY OVERDUE chapter 6, which is now gift wrapped with an Omake bow in tow.

I got so sick and tired of my distractions, some daily and some that lasted a week. ARGH.

I'll try to get ch. 7 soon. Oh! And I've finally decided my little homage thing. You might be seeing... A SHIJIN CAMEO!!!

That's right, my big plot twist revealed!

...Now to write it... orz

Merry Christmas Readers, and PLEASE OH PLEASE tell me you got me a prezzie too? \(QvQ)/ (ahem, REVIEW!)


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